Hae Rym Kim - Photo: DR

Kim finally won after a 1.2m birdie putt on the second barrage on the 18th Blackstone Course in Mission Hills, and became the fourth South Korean to win the title, after Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu Et Jung Min Lee.

Before the play-off, Hae Rym Kim made a similar four-foot birdie on the 18th to end up head-to-head with Bae at (-14) after 54 holes to force the play-off, with both players having recorded laps of 70 and 69 respectively.

With two previous wins at the 2016 KLPGA, the 27-year-old said: “I played twice in the play-off last year, so I felt a lot more confident this time around. "

However, there were signs of nervousness on the first play-off hole when she drove from the 18th into black lava rocks and ended up with an unplayable stroke. Despite appearances, Kim said: “At the first playoff hole, I was delighted to find my ball even if I had to declare that it could not be played. I felt it was luck and it helped me. I concentrated on doing the par. "

On the second play hole, Bae chipped his ball six feet after the hole and faced another birdie on a similar line, but still, his ball ended largely on the right side.

Hae Rym Kim smelled blood and made his birdie. Then she said: “I watched Bae's play and her micro-expressions and I knew what she was thinking deep in her mind. This is the key. I knew her and I could adapt my strategy according to her expressions. "

Seon Woo Bae was not too disappointed and said: “I feel good, because it was just the first tournament of 2017 and there are still 29 more to play. I didn't hit a bad shot, it was just a miserable day. "

England's Georgia Hall, winner of the European Solheim Cup team, finished three strokes in third place behind South Korean pair Soyoung Lee and Min Sun Kim at (-11).

The 20-year-old Bournemouth player said: “I played well and my long game was good. My putting wasn't quite there today and I couldn't see the lines as well as the last two days and my pace was a bit off. I started out pretty short actually, but my long game has been amazing all week, and so has my putting, except for today. I had 33 putts today and played three under the par, so if I had hit the hole with more of my putts then I could have been in the play-off, but I didn't score so I'm third and I'm very happy that way. I missed only one fairway and missed two over the previous two days. "

Comparing his own game to play partners Hae Rym Kim and Seon Woo Bae, Hall said: “My long game I think was better than theirs, but they putt better which is why they are in the position they are. They both played really well, so they deserve to be at the top of the podium. "

Scotland's Kylie Henry finished five strokes behind in 13th place, before flying to Thailand for her honeymoon and 2015 Rookie of the Year Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark sits in 14th.

Only two French women passed the cut in China. As often, it is Gwladys Nocera who leads the blue train, with three cards of 70, 77 and 72 (in total), the European number one in 2008 finishes 32nd.
Behind the Solheim Cup player, we find Isabelle Boineau in 53rd place (72, 78, 73, +4).

It was the second tournament of the Ladies European Tour season in 2017 and both finished in the play-off. The next tournament will be the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco from April 13 to 16.